Rest of India wins Irani Cup title by 167 runs against Jammu and Kashmir

Rest of India secured their 31st Irani Cup title with a 167-run victory over Jammu and Kashmir at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar. Despite conceding a 41-run first-innings lead, Rest of India established a second-innings total of 319, bolstered by Smaran Ravichandran’s 135.

In response to a target of 279, Jammu and Kashmir collapsed from 89/3 to being bowled out for 111. The bowling effort was led by Mukesh Kumar, who claimed 6/33, and Akash Deep, who took 3/25. Captain Rishabh Pant noted that the team’s success was driven by a tactical shift to bowl fuller and attack the stumps rather than bowling short.

The victory coincided with Rishabh Pant’s 29th birthday. Although Pant was sidelined during the final day due to a fever, he joined his teammates in the dressing room for post-match celebrations.